Throughout the 1970s and beyond, one of the foremost new genres in comics turned out to be sword and sorcery. Inspired by the paperback book sales of Conan and his ilk in the mid-1960s, Marvel licensed the character from the Robert E. Howard Estate. After a slow start, the series really took off in a … Continue reading The Coming of Crom!
This obscure issue of Charlton's BLUE BEETLE series--not the version re-conceptualized by Steve Ditko but the earlier, super-powered version, seems like any other throw-away Charlton comic of the era--good for a few moments of entertainment, but not at all memorable for any particular reason. But this issue is noteworthy for being one of the earliest … Continue reading Brand Echh – Blue Beetle #54
This was another book that I bought at Bush's Hobbies, the hole-in-the-wall collectibles store that had a good stock of vintage comic book back issues, and which was not all that far from my home. I picked up this issue because I was interested in reading the Origin of the Justice League, one of the … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #97
If there's one thing that DC has loved to do over the years, it's to explore strange story avenues and then abandon them. In some ways, that's become their history ever since CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS--it feels that you can't go but a few years anymore until everything you've read is thrown out and they … Continue reading 5BC: Would You Believe Five More Forgotten DC Retcons
In any long-running series, there's going to be a magnetic pull among a certain type of writer to want to change things, to make adjustments to details, to eliminate contradictions in the stories that have been told and to introduce new information about foundational events. These ideas can sometimes be additive and sometime be destructive, … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Forgotten DC Retcons
I bought this issue of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS at my local 7-11, and it was another comic book which my household ended up with multiple copies of--though in this case, for a different reason. I would have a birthday in about a month's time, and as a gift my friend and classmate Don Sims … Continue reading BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #13
Another similar thing that I did during my first trip to my very first comic book shop, Heroes World in Levittown, was to buy the oldest issue of THE FLASH that I could. As with FANTASTIC FOUR, there were some older releases on the wall--I seem to recall that SHOWCASE #13 with its pirate torpedo … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #158
On Saturday mornings, SUPER FRIENDS had started producing new episodes for the first time in several years. The original 1973 run had produced 16 hour-long episodes, and were an outgrowth of a pilot program developed, in all places, in episodes of the BRADY KIDS animated series. After new more stringent legislation had been passed ostensibly … Continue reading BHOC: SUPER FRIENDS #9
This was another Treasury Edition that I loved. I can recall intending to duplicate Dick Giordano’s cover as an art entry in a Block party art contest that summer–it would also be used as the basis for a key frame in the opening credits to CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER-FRIENDS. More interesting to me, the back … Continue reading BHOC: LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION #C-46
A nice surprise, this issue of DC SUPER-STARS devoted itself to reprints of the Flash. These apparently had been prepared for FLASH #235, which was intended as a Giant issue (and mentioned as such in the letters page of the preceding issue) but canceled at the last moment. There was also an interesting story here … Continue reading BHOC: DC SUPER-STARS #5
